Chelsea
Player Keen On Move As Chelsea Submit £12.8m Bid For Bundesliga Defender
Chelsea have stepped-up their interest in Antonio Rudiger after submitting a formal £12.8m offer to Stuttgart for the German international defender
With the summer transfer window finally open for business, managers are working hard trying to strengthen their squads ahead of next season so we’ll bring you all the news and gossip. Today, Chelsea are linked with Antonio Rudiger….
Chelsea have stepped-up their interest in Antonio Rudiger after submitting a formal £12.8m offer to Stuttgart for the German international defender, according to the Express.
Rudiger joined Stuttgart from Borussia Dortmund in 2011 and developed into an important first team player with the centre-back making a total of 35 appearances in all competitions for the German outfit last season.
Despite his impressive form at the back, Alexander Zorniger’s side endured a hugely disappointing campaign that saw then finish 14th in the Bundesliga table and only narrowly avoid relegation from the top flight.
Rudiger has been tipped to look for a new challenge this summer and it appears he could be offered a fresh start here in England as the Express are reporting that Chelsea have tabled a formal £12.8m offer for his services.
The news originates from German newspaper Stuttgarter Nachrichten who claim that despite interest from Wolfsburg and Porto, the 22-year-old is keen to join the Premier League champions and has instructed his agent to broker the deal.
It remains to be seen how Stuttgart will respond to Chelsea’s reported bid but if the player wants out, it’s going to be difficult for them to keep him against his will.
Jose Mourinho has just led the Blues to a league and cup double but he’s still likely to further strengthen his squad this summer and I wouldn’t be surprised if a new centre-back was on the agenda.
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John Terry will be 35 years old in December so Chelsea are going to need to start planning ahead for life without their skipper and Rudiger could be just the man for the job.
The youngster is predominantly played as a centre-back but is also capable of playing at right-back or even as a defensive midfielder, so his versatility is sure to appeal to Mourinho.
We’ll have to wait for further developments and to see whether Chelsea’s supposed bid has been successful, but I think Rudiger could be a very useful signing if the Blues can pull it off this summer.
